pratheeshps
Journeyman
I have been searching for a new laptop since my 7 year old Desktop died a few months ago.I do have a year old Dell XPS 15z at my home which belongs to my brother.Since a year,my main PC is the Dell PC,missing at some regular intervals.Finally ,I decided to go for a Dell PC,but budget laptops of Dell are priced a little above others.So I posted a thread in Digit forum for suggestions.During this period,one fellow Digiitian informed me abt the Superdeals in Homeshop18.I found out a HP probook 4440s model which impressed me with its look & buid quality.I enquired abt this model locally as well as in the forum & found out that this model has been priced relatively cheaper in HS18.So I avoided my purchase form HS18 as well as from local stores. Fedup with enquiry & dedided to go for HP 2049TX,but another forum member[Incinerator] suggested Sony Vaio SVE14A15FN.Impressed by the specs & encouragemt form other members,purchase was done on the same day….& I am glad that I have made the right decision.
Configuration
*i.imgur.com/WMbJNiO.png
Let’s go straight to my Vaio
*i.imgur.com/cfaVIf4.png
FIRST LOOK
Buid quality is plasticky as you expect a laptop in this range.What I don’t like is the build quality of flap around the screen,but it is common among & nothing to worry abt. The plasticky build is glossy & prone to Fingerprints…
Else no issues with build.This PC has a folder look,somewhat similar to a Sony Tablet P & I don’t know if you can find another beautiful designed PC in this range.Just don’t take my word for it.. See by Yourself...
*i.imgur.com/RSnrsrF.png
*i.imgur.com/0uoYMEp.png
*i.imgur.com/XWCpEk1.png
Keyboard & TRACKPAD
*i.imgur.com/liL09Hg.png
Backlit KeyBoard is comfortable to type & no issues. Numpad is expectedly not present in this 14-inch vaio.Additionally 4 buttons are present on the right side of Keyboard including“Power”,”Eject”,”Web-opens defaults Browser” & “Vaio-opens Control Center/Vaio Care”.Wireless On/Off button is not present which is a bit letdown.One cool addition to keyboard is the sleep button,as a Function Key.
*i.imgur.com/HDv2V8C.png
Trackpad is positioned slightly towards Left from Centre.It’s a synaptic trackpad with no individual buttons for Left/Right click.Left/Right clicks can be done using Left/Right Edges of Trackpad.Regarding the performance,it is very responsive & supports all Windows8 gestures.Left/Right clicks works perfectly.It has a slightly textured finish,which provides good control over Trackpad use.Fingerprint support is also included & yet to use it.
DISPLAY
*i.imgur.com/9aFtV5T.png
Vaio E14A15FN has a 14 inch ,1600*900 (900p),LED backlit TFT Glossy Vaio display.The display has very good viewing angles & text ,Media appears very crisp & got very good colour saturation & all look very vibrant.In the factory condition,display looked dull & boring.But Proper driver installation & configuration is necessary to raise display to this end.Brightness of display is more than enough for normal usage scenario.
Of course ,since it is a glossy display,it would have reflections while using outdoors..Not an issue since I normally use it in indoors.That’s a issue common for all glossy displays,& if you can ignore it,this is perfect for indoor /outdoor use.Actually the above picture doesn’t seems like an actual representation of display & so blame my camera !!!
And HD 720p 1.3 MP webcam is also included & picture quality is OK..
LEFT & RIGHT OF PC
On the Left
*i.imgur.com/WprlXQE.png
Although,the pic says everything,a description is much more welcome addition
1.Socket for AC power adapter
2.Heat vent is located on the left side between power socket & display port.
3.Mini D-sub port
4.HDMI out port
5.RJ-45 Gigabit LAN
6.2 USB 3.0 ports
On the Right
*i.imgur.com/9npAs7r.png
1.Headphone & Mic jack
2.2 USB 2.0 ports
3.DVD drive
4.DC-In
*i.imgur.com/b7EuaTC.png
Also indicator lights are also provided on the facing front side on the left edge including Power,charging status,HDD activity,SD card slot as well as wireless indicator.
On the fancier side,
*i.imgur.com/mJ7mqWZ.png
Performance Side
My Vaio seems to respond to very well in all common operations like multimedia playback playback,browsing & everything I tried.
One issue found out that audio volume is somewhat low in my windows8 PC while in windows7 ,it has a loud volume..May be a driver issue.
For system performance,I haven’t run any other benchmarks.Windows Experience Index is included.
*i.imgur.com/2TkSKSw.png
Storage performance
For storage performance,I have done Crystal Disk mark test & obtained below results .
*i.imgur.com/trNnxIr.png
On normal copying,the transfer rate is averaged around 30Mb/s.
Gaming performance
This PC has a dedicated GPU[AMD 7670] along with Intel HD Graphics.Assigning video playback to AMD GPU ,provided better visuals compared to Onboard Graphics.
I haven’t tested it with a lot of Games.Only one I have tried is the NFS:Most Wanted.Eventhough the Game is playable at native resolution [1600*900p] & all high settings,the PC tends to heat to extreme at 89 C after a 30 minute game.
At medium settings & 720p resolution,average FPS is 30.While at 900p & all high settings,peak fps was 22 averaging around 20.The temperature builded upto 83C.The tool I have used is Fraps.
At Mid- settings & 720p resolution-30FPS[Peak]
*i.imgur.com/mdObAwy.png
At full 900 p resolution &all high settings-22FPS[Peak FPS]
*i.imgur.com/6dyPyJj.png
Temperature during gaming-All High Settings & 900p resolution
CPU at 90C,MB at 72C ,HDD at 37C & GPU at 72C
*i.imgur.com/u7mrczj.png
CPU at 83C,GPU at 68C & HDD at 37C
*i.imgur.com/dHnnlgS.png
Cooling
During idle conditions,Cpu temp averages around 44-45 C at high cooling mode & 46-47 C at Standard cooling mode.Noise from cooling fan is pretty silent during standard setting while at high cooling,it is a slight noisy during idle conditions & it get increased during Gameplay.Noise is not disturbing in any settings.Standard cooling is ideal for situations like normal use while High cooling for Game plays.HDD temp stands around 36C during idle but showed a 37-38C during Heavy Gaming.
Battery backup
The Sony version of Battery backup is 5.5 Hours in Windows7.I haven’t tested it much on Windows7,but according to battery care,abt 3.45 hours for 100% charge is available.In windows8,I normally get 3.30 hours easily for average use with Display brightness around 50%.Avg.discharge shown by battery care is 9-11W.Wi-Fi connection is not used while taking this value but no much difference would be there for that[partially used with Wi-Fi,& discharge rates are similar].Battery charging can be limited to 80% using Vaio Control Center is a nice addition.
Warranty
Sony Vaio E14A15FN got a 1 year standard warranty,common for a Standard Laptop.
Bloatware
Sony provided a few softwares in Windows7 edition.Some of useful ones are Photoshop Elements,Vaio Gate[similar to Object Dock],Webcam software .Other ones included are Vaio system softwares like Vaio Care,Vaio Control centre,Vaio Update.In Windows8,Vaio Control center is the only system software available & only one needed.
No Driver disc or Windows7 Disk provided with this PC.Also ,in windows8,this PC tends to run at higher temp initially & Graphic driver update solved the problem.So I advise to download driver updates from Sony support & keep them safe in case.
FINAL VERDICT
Sony Vaio is my accidental choice & I am happy with it...
Pros
1.Display
2.Weight
3.Battery backup
4.System Performance
5.Gameplay
6.Comfortable to use & no heating issue during Normal Use.
Cons
1.Comparatively low sound in Windows8[May be a driver issue]
2.CPU Temp rises to 80C & above [atleast in the Game-NFS] during Gameplay.[Laptop cooler is advised]
3.Glossy build may prone to fingerprints.
Final word- This is a recommended buy.
Configuration
*i.imgur.com/WMbJNiO.png
Let’s go straight to my Vaio
*i.imgur.com/cfaVIf4.png
FIRST LOOK
Buid quality is plasticky as you expect a laptop in this range.What I don’t like is the build quality of flap around the screen,but it is common among & nothing to worry abt. The plasticky build is glossy & prone to Fingerprints…
Else no issues with build.This PC has a folder look,somewhat similar to a Sony Tablet P & I don’t know if you can find another beautiful designed PC in this range.Just don’t take my word for it.. See by Yourself...
*i.imgur.com/RSnrsrF.png
*i.imgur.com/0uoYMEp.png
*i.imgur.com/XWCpEk1.png
Keyboard & TRACKPAD
*i.imgur.com/liL09Hg.png
Backlit KeyBoard is comfortable to type & no issues. Numpad is expectedly not present in this 14-inch vaio.Additionally 4 buttons are present on the right side of Keyboard including“Power”,”Eject”,”Web-opens defaults Browser” & “Vaio-opens Control Center/Vaio Care”.Wireless On/Off button is not present which is a bit letdown.One cool addition to keyboard is the sleep button,as a Function Key.
*i.imgur.com/HDv2V8C.png
Trackpad is positioned slightly towards Left from Centre.It’s a synaptic trackpad with no individual buttons for Left/Right click.Left/Right clicks can be done using Left/Right Edges of Trackpad.Regarding the performance,it is very responsive & supports all Windows8 gestures.Left/Right clicks works perfectly.It has a slightly textured finish,which provides good control over Trackpad use.Fingerprint support is also included & yet to use it.
DISPLAY
*i.imgur.com/9aFtV5T.png
Vaio E14A15FN has a 14 inch ,1600*900 (900p),LED backlit TFT Glossy Vaio display.The display has very good viewing angles & text ,Media appears very crisp & got very good colour saturation & all look very vibrant.In the factory condition,display looked dull & boring.But Proper driver installation & configuration is necessary to raise display to this end.Brightness of display is more than enough for normal usage scenario.
Of course ,since it is a glossy display,it would have reflections while using outdoors..Not an issue since I normally use it in indoors.That’s a issue common for all glossy displays,& if you can ignore it,this is perfect for indoor /outdoor use.Actually the above picture doesn’t seems like an actual representation of display & so blame my camera !!!
And HD 720p 1.3 MP webcam is also included & picture quality is OK..
LEFT & RIGHT OF PC
On the Left
*i.imgur.com/WprlXQE.png
Although,the pic says everything,a description is much more welcome addition
1.Socket for AC power adapter
2.Heat vent is located on the left side between power socket & display port.
3.Mini D-sub port
4.HDMI out port
5.RJ-45 Gigabit LAN
6.2 USB 3.0 ports
On the Right
*i.imgur.com/9npAs7r.png
1.Headphone & Mic jack
2.2 USB 2.0 ports
3.DVD drive
4.DC-In
*i.imgur.com/b7EuaTC.png
Also indicator lights are also provided on the facing front side on the left edge including Power,charging status,HDD activity,SD card slot as well as wireless indicator.
On the fancier side,
*i.imgur.com/mJ7mqWZ.png
Performance Side
My Vaio seems to respond to very well in all common operations like multimedia playback playback,browsing & everything I tried.
One issue found out that audio volume is somewhat low in my windows8 PC while in windows7 ,it has a loud volume..May be a driver issue.
For system performance,I haven’t run any other benchmarks.Windows Experience Index is included.
*i.imgur.com/2TkSKSw.png
Storage performance
For storage performance,I have done Crystal Disk mark test & obtained below results .
*i.imgur.com/trNnxIr.png
On normal copying,the transfer rate is averaged around 30Mb/s.
Gaming performance
This PC has a dedicated GPU[AMD 7670] along with Intel HD Graphics.Assigning video playback to AMD GPU ,provided better visuals compared to Onboard Graphics.
I haven’t tested it with a lot of Games.Only one I have tried is the NFS:Most Wanted.Eventhough the Game is playable at native resolution [1600*900p] & all high settings,the PC tends to heat to extreme at 89 C after a 30 minute game.
At medium settings & 720p resolution,average FPS is 30.While at 900p & all high settings,peak fps was 22 averaging around 20.The temperature builded upto 83C.The tool I have used is Fraps.
At Mid- settings & 720p resolution-30FPS[Peak]
*i.imgur.com/mdObAwy.png
At full 900 p resolution &all high settings-22FPS[Peak FPS]
*i.imgur.com/6dyPyJj.png
Temperature during gaming-All High Settings & 900p resolution
CPU at 90C,MB at 72C ,HDD at 37C & GPU at 72C
*i.imgur.com/u7mrczj.png
CPU at 83C,GPU at 68C & HDD at 37C
*i.imgur.com/dHnnlgS.png
Cooling
During idle conditions,Cpu temp averages around 44-45 C at high cooling mode & 46-47 C at Standard cooling mode.Noise from cooling fan is pretty silent during standard setting while at high cooling,it is a slight noisy during idle conditions & it get increased during Gameplay.Noise is not disturbing in any settings.Standard cooling is ideal for situations like normal use while High cooling for Game plays.HDD temp stands around 36C during idle but showed a 37-38C during Heavy Gaming.
Battery backup
The Sony version of Battery backup is 5.5 Hours in Windows7.I haven’t tested it much on Windows7,but according to battery care,abt 3.45 hours for 100% charge is available.In windows8,I normally get 3.30 hours easily for average use with Display brightness around 50%.Avg.discharge shown by battery care is 9-11W.Wi-Fi connection is not used while taking this value but no much difference would be there for that[partially used with Wi-Fi,& discharge rates are similar].Battery charging can be limited to 80% using Vaio Control Center is a nice addition.
Warranty
Sony Vaio E14A15FN got a 1 year standard warranty,common for a Standard Laptop.
Bloatware
Sony provided a few softwares in Windows7 edition.Some of useful ones are Photoshop Elements,Vaio Gate[similar to Object Dock],Webcam software .Other ones included are Vaio system softwares like Vaio Care,Vaio Control centre,Vaio Update.In Windows8,Vaio Control center is the only system software available & only one needed.
No Driver disc or Windows7 Disk provided with this PC.Also ,in windows8,this PC tends to run at higher temp initially & Graphic driver update solved the problem.So I advise to download driver updates from Sony support & keep them safe in case.
FINAL VERDICT
Sony Vaio is my accidental choice & I am happy with it...
Pros
1.Display
2.Weight
3.Battery backup
4.System Performance
5.Gameplay
6.Comfortable to use & no heating issue during Normal Use.
Cons
1.Comparatively low sound in Windows8[May be a driver issue]
2.CPU Temp rises to 80C & above [atleast in the Game-NFS] during Gameplay.[Laptop cooler is advised]
3.Glossy build may prone to fingerprints.
Final word- This is a recommended buy.
Last edited:
